Method for controlling an industrial robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021001486-A1
Application number	US-201916458424-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2019
Priority date	Jul 1, 2019
Publication date	Jan 7, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method adapted to control an industrial robot, where the industrial robot is controlled in two phases for assembling a first and a second component. The present disclosure also relates to a corresponding control system and to a computer program product.

First claim

1 . A computer implemented method adapted to control an industrial robot in an assembly process, the assembly process provided for assembling a first and a second component, the first component comprising a peg portion and the second component comprising a hole portion matching the peg portion, the first component being fixed and an orientation of the second component being adjustably controlled by the industrial robot, wherein the method comprises:
controlling, at an adjustment phase, the position of the second component to contact the first hole portion with the peg portion of the first component, and adjusting, at an alignment phase, an alignment angle of the hole portion of the second component to allow the hole portion of the second component to be inserted onto the peg portion of the first component,
wherein a transition from the adjustment phase to the alignment phase only takes place if a three-point contact between the hole portion of the second component and the peg portion of the first component is identified.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment phase comprises:
controlling the orientation of the second component such that the hole portion of the second component forms an initial contact with the peg portion of the first component, measuring a first contact pressure between the hole and the peg, and adjusting the position of the hole based on the contact pressure.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the three-point contact is identified by measuring a second contact pressure between the hole and the peg.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the alignment phase comprises monitoring the alignment angle for the hole portion of the second component.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hole of the second component comprises a fastener with treaded hole and the peg of the first component comprises a threaded fastener with an external male thread.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
rotating the second component once an alignment between the hole portion of the second component and the peg portion of the first component has been established.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second component is an oil filter.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein inserting the hole portion of the second component onto the peg portion of the first component is arranged to be gravity independent.

9 . A control system arranged adapted to control an industrial robot in an assembly process, the assembly process provided for assembling a first and a second component, the first component comprising a peg portion and the second component comprising a hole portion matching the peg portion, the first component being fixed and an orientation of the second component being adjustably controlled by the industrial robot, the control system comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit is adapted to:
control, at an adjustment phase, the position of the second component to contact the first hole portion with the peg portion of the first component, and adjust, at an alignment phase, an alignment angle of the hole portion of the second component to allow the hole portion of the second component to be inserted onto the peg portion of the first component,
wherein a transition from the adjustment phase to the alignment phase only takes place if a three-point contact between the hole portion of the second component and the peg portion of the first component is identified.

10 . The control system according to claim 9 , wherein during the adjustment phase the control unit is further adapted to:
control the orientation of the second component such that the hole portion of the second component forms an initial contact with the peg portion of the first component, measure a first contact pressure between the hole and the peg, and adjust the position of the hole based on the contact pressure.

11 . The control system according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit is further adapted to identify the three-point contact by measuring a second contact pressure between the hole and the peg.

12 . The control system according to claim 9 , wherein during the alignment phase the control unit is further adapted to monitor the alignment angle for the hole portion of the second component.

13 . The control system according to claim 9 , wherein the hole of the second component comprises a fastener with treaded hole and the peg of the first component comprises a threaded fastener with an external male thread.

14 . The control system according to claim 9 , wherein the peg of the first component comprises a threaded fastener with an external male thread.

15 . The control system according to claim 9 , wherein the hole of the second component is an oil filter.

16 . The control system according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit is adapted to allow inserting the hole portion of the second component onto the peg portion of the first component to be gravity independent.

17 . An industrial robot arrangement, comprising:
an industrial robot, and a control system according to claim 9 .

18 . The industrial robot arrangement according to claim 17 , wherein the industrial robot is a velocity-controlled robot.

19 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer program means for operating a control system arranged adapted to control an industrial robot in an assembly process, the assembly process provided for assembling a first and a second component, the first component comprising a peg portion and the second component comprising a hole portion matching the peg portion, the first component being fixed and an orientation of the second component being adjustably controlled by the industrial robot, the control system comprising a control unit, wherein the computer program product comprises:
code for controlling, by the control unit at an adjustment phase, the position of the second component to contact the first hole portion with the peg portion of the first component, and code for adjusting, by the control unit at an alignment phase, an alignment angle of the hole portion of the second component to allow the hole portion of the second component to be inserted onto the peg portion of the first component,
wherein a transition from the adjustment phase to the alignment phase only takes place if a three-point contact between the hole portion of the second component and the peg portion of the first component is identified.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Salem Amr
• Karayiannidis Yiannis

Classifications

• B25J9/1687 Primary

  Assembly, peg and hole, palletising, straight line, weaving pattern movement · CPC title

• B25J9/1633

  compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control · CPC title

• G05B2219/40032

  Peg and hole insertion, mating and joining, remote center compliance · CPC title

• B25J9/163

  learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control · CPC title

• B25J9/1664

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title